This year for its 14th edition the festival will
host 27 concerts with 134 musicians in six venues from October 3rd
till 12th. From the mythical Lion
D’Or to the Sala Rosa passing
through Upstairs Bar and Grillgrand
premieres and international collaborations will be presented at 8 and 9:30pm on
most nights (see program guide for details). The closing night concert on
October 12th will be at the Cabaret du Mile-end – a global journey
led by pianist John Roney called World
Colours.

The popular 5-à-7 series (now called ‘Discovery’) returns this
year at a new club called Résonance Café; a smorgasbord of jazz that runs the
gamut from world-inspired to modern. Come and discover the next generation of
Montreal’s jazz scene.

Finally, at 10:30pm, for those night-owls among us,
a nightcap at the Casa Del Popolo will be presented. The lineup promises to be
creatively dynamic and filled with the intoxicating spirits of freedom and
adventure.

This year the operative words are quality,
creativity and free expression; a veritable banquet (including five launches) for
those who love jazz music for 08 October days (no concerts on 7th or
8th).

Saxophonist
Christine Jensen opens the 14th edition of L'Off Jazz by gathering together 18
of Montreal's finest musicians: 6 saxophones, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets plus a rhythm
section (piano, drums, guitar and bass). The concert was also a launch of her
latest CD, Habitat, all 6 tracks being performed. Each track, inspired by her
own personal experiences, have been exquisitely sculpted and shaped to allow
each player to express them in their ensemble playing, duets and solos.
Throughout the concert we were transported to the prairies, Port-au-Prince,
going north on the Main (rue St Laurent) in Montreal and many others.

Marianne’s
compositions are dynamic, intense and melodic with frequent and well-executed
chord changes. Her command of the piano is an eclectic range of styles spanning
from the blues to free jazz passing through sentimental ballads. Her choice of
titles truly fit the inspiration and intent of the piece. Having seen her in concert many times since
2005, I have noticed her growth as an artist and her sense of creativity is
unbound. Her playing doesn’t deplete her energy, it increases it.

Montreal-based saxophonist Chet Doxas joins forces with New York
musicians Stevens, Lober and Dood to perform his well-strung original compositions
plus one by Stevens. Adventurous and interesting arrangements with exciting
solos peppered with touches of humour with a folkloric foundation. The execution and the chemistry between all
four musicians were perfect.

A
program of original compositions, except for the standard 'As Time Goes By '
from the movie Casablanca, from ‘Returning’ the trio’s most recent release. Most
of the pieces were generally slow-moving and melodic with a high level of
poetic beauty. The only exception was 'What', very loosely based on Cole Porter’s
‘What is this Thing Called Love?’ which was loose, free and frenetic. It is
quite evident that this trio have been playing together for nearly 30 years and
keep their ‘love’ alive through two key secret ingredients – they swing and
have perfect interaction with each other.

The
music possessed a linear progression led by Benjamin with superb backing by the
other members of the quartet, who would occasionally dazzle with well-executed
solos. The highlight of the concert was 'Eyes Closed' – the last piece before the
break – it was energetic and exciting. The positioning of the musicians was not
good as the speakers on the right side of the stage hid Benjamin's face.

Rémi-Jean’s
well written and conceived compositions were hauntingly lyrical with flourishes
of inspired solos throughout. The rhythm section led by Rémi-Jean accompanied
by Raphael and Rich kept up the steady pace as the horns told the narratives. Embraceable You, by George Gershwin, was
a duet between Rémi-Jean and Raphael.

Sounded
like fusion yet without electronics. Pieces ranged from ballads to up-tempo,
with Latino influences; from melodic to chaotic - an eclectic and audacious
mix. The musicians were better positioned - all were visible from the right
side of the stage.

A
surprisingly fresh take on this pioneering piece of music that has been modernized
to the point that it could have been written by the likes of Frank Zappa or
Univers Zero and others i.e. the influence of Stravinsky on modern chamber rock
is enormous. Yet the arrangement still held true to its original spirit – a
significant grounding in Russian folk music coupled with experimental
techniques that were novel at its premiere on May 29 1913 at the Théâtre
des Champs-Élysées in Paris.

A
well-programmed mix of original tunes and standards. Silky-smooth controlled
voice delivering crystal-clear lyrics. Renée possesses near-perfect pitch and
her scatting was excellent – featured on two of the songs. Excellent backup
from Mark and Joel. The style was Jazz
lounge with a pinch of country-pop and a sliver of blues.

A
total of 10 musicians perform a 9-part suite composed by pianist John Roney.
Entitled 'World Colors' it is a cocktail of the various musical cultures and rhythms
discovered by Roney during his world tours. The concert opened with the
appropriately titled 'Ouverture' which gave a sense of being in a royal court.
This was followed by the suite. The tour begins as we travel up and down
winding roads in the Cascade Range on the West coast. We then go through the Prairies
reflecting the spirit of a ‘home on the range’ through Lévy Bourbonnais’
harmonica. Arriving on the East Coast, hearing the sounds of funk as
exemplified by James Brown’ saxophonist Maceo Parker. We then cross the Atlantic to hear the traditional
sounds of Ireland. Helping us navigate the second set towards ‘the unknown’,
special guest, violinist Mark Feldman arrives on stage. We continue to Morocco
then Japan, Israel with an homage to Anatevka the name of the village in Fiddler on the Roof and finally wrapping-up,
pack your bags and continue on down the road.

Nancy's Books are sold on Kindle and at Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College Avenue, Montreal

Beyond the Dream: Epic Solitude - Nancy's collection of Poetry & short stories. Contact nansnipper@gmail.com or Click on image to read article. Here is the link to Martin Barry's article: http://martincbarry.weebly.com. Book is also available on Amazon Kindle

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Nancy Snipper is also an accomplished singer/songwriter – banjo player and classical pianist. Her three CDs have garnered much media praise along with her performances (Canada, Mexico, Cuba). Her voice is astoundingly beautiful – velvety in her blues numbers, sensual and sizzling in her folk, rock and country compositions. Now you can own one of her CDs. For enquiries about owning her CDs and/or booking performances contact her at this email: sylvainmrichard@gmail.com. Her CDs help raise money for cancer research.

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Note / Nota:

July 10, 2016:The beginning of a new and exciting chapter! Nancy Snipper's (a.k.a S.N.) first posting on her own blog: http://sntravelandartswithoutborders.blogspot.ca/********************************************************

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